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Cozy up with a bowl of Pork Dumpling Soup, loaded with tender pork and shrimp dumplings in a tasty chicken broth. This super easy recipe is perfect for when you need a quick, satisfying meal.
Chinese Pork Dumpling Soup
This Cantonese delicacy—known as ‘Siu Kow‘ or water dumplings—is a perfect blend of ground pork, shrimp, water chestnuts, and wood ear mushrooms, making every bite savory, luscious, and crunchy.
Pork dumpling soup is a hearty dish year-round, but I especially enjoy it when it’s cold, particularly during the fall and winter months. It’s also a festive recipe for Chinese New Year.
In my family, our celebration isn’t complete without siu kow because dumplings symbolize wealth and good fortune. Shaped like ancient Chinese gold ingots, they’re believed to bring prosperity. Additionally, the word “siu” can mean both “water” and “money” in Cantonese, further enhancing their symbolic value.
Soup is significant during festive seasons because it represents warmth, nourishment, and good health. It’s comforting and thought to bring balance and luck, with some soups incorporating ingredients that symbolize long life and prosperity.
My easy pork dumpling soup recipe is quick and fuss-free. It comes together in under 20 minutes and just 5 simple steps. This dish is perfect for a satisfying meal that’s sure to warm you up!
Looking for more Chinese soup recipes? Check out my Hot and Sour Soup, Shanghai-Style Borscht Soup (Luo Song Tang) and West Lake Beef Soup recipes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Comfort in a bowl: The savory dumplings and tasty broth make this soup super cozy and satisfying. My homemade recipe guarantees a flavor that’s way better than takeout!
- Quick and easy: It comes together in under 20 minutes with just 5 simple steps, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
- Beginner-friendly: This recipe is foolproof, making it perfect for anyone new to cooking or looking for a simple, tasty meal.
- Cheaper than takeout: You get the same great taste as takeout but for way less, making it a wallet-friendly choice you can make at home.
Asian Dumpling Soup Ingredients
- Siu kow or wonton wrappers
- Ground pork – Go with ground pork that has a bit of fat—about 80% lean and 20% fat. This mix keeps the dumplings juicy and tasty.
- Shrimp – Adds a delicate, slightly firm texture.
- Wood ear mushroom – Gives the filling a nice crunch and earthy taste.
- Fresh or canned water chestnuts – Gives a refreshing crunch in the filling.
- Shaoxing rice wine or sherry – Adds a touch of sweetness and extra flavor.
- Chicken stock – You can use homemade or store-bought chicken stock.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
Shopping Guide: When shopping for wrappers, look for ‘Siu Kow’ (Water Dumplings) wrappers at your local Asian store. They’re usually square and pale yellow, with a thinner, more flexible texture than regular wonton wrappers. If you can’t find them, regular wonton wrappers will work just fine.
How To Make Pork Dumpling Soup
Step 1. Soak the wood ear mushrooms in warm water for about 15 minutes, then cut them into thin strips. Combine the wood ear mushrooms with all the filling and seasoning ingredients. Chill the filling in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Step 2. Place a wrapper on your palm and spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling onto it. Do not overfill. Dip your index finger into a small bowl of water and run it around the outer edges of the wrapper.
Step 3. Fold the dumpling over and press the edges with your thumb and index finger to ensure it’s sealed tightly and there’s no leakage. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. Place the dumplings on a floured surface or baking sheet and cover them with a damp kitchen towel to prevent drying.
Step 4. Bring the water to a boil in a pot. Gently transfer the dumplings into the boiling water and cook until they float to the top, about 2-3 minutes. You may need to boil the dumplings in batches, depending on the size of your pot. Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon, drain the excess water, and cover them to prevent drying.
Step 5. Bring the chicken broth and water to a boil in another pot. Add white pepper and salt to taste. Transfer 3-4 dumplings into a soup bowl, ladle some of the soup over them, garnish with chopped green onions, and serve immediately.
Helpful Tips For Home Cooks
- Cover the wrappers with a damp towel if you’re making a lot at once to keep them from drying out.
- Don’t pack too much filling into the wrappers. It can make sealing tricky and might cause leaks while cooking.
- Make sure to seal the edges of the dumplings tightly so no filling escapes into the soup.
- If you’re cooking a lot of dumplings, do it in batches. Overcrowding the pot can make them cook unevenly.
- The dumplings are ready when they float to the top and the wrapper is tender. Cut one open to make sure the pork is fully cooked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can add vegetables like spinach, bok choy, or mushrooms to the soup for extra flavor and nutrition.
Yes, you can use other mushrooms like shiitake or oyster mushrooms, though they will slightly change the flavor and texture of the filling.
To avoid sticking, make sure the water is really boiling before you add the dumplings. Give them a gentle stir now and then to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Add a bit of white pepper or a splash of hot sauce to the broth for a kick. You can also include finely chopped fresh chilies in the filling.
Yes. Just cook the noodles separately, then stir them into the soup right before serving.
This recipe is only 124 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Pork Dumpling Soup
For wholesome Chinese meal and dinner at home, I recommend the following recipes:
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Other Recipes You Might Like
Pork Dumpling Soup
Ingredients
- 20 siu kow , or wonton wrappers
- 4 cups (1 liter) water
Chopped Scallions Filling:
- 1 small wood ear mushroom
- 6 oz (170g) ground pork
- 4 oz (120g) raw shrimp, shelled and deveined, cut into small pieces
- 2 fresh water chestnuts, peeled or canned water chestnuts, minced
- 1 tablespoon green onion, scallion, finely chopped
Seasonings
- 1 1/2 teaspoons oil
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine, or sherry
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3/4 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 dashes white pepper
Soup
- 1 3/4 cups homemade chicken stock , or 1 can (14 oz. /400 g / 425 ml) store-bought chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 3 dashes white pepper
- salt , to taste
- 1 green onion, trimmed and cut into small rounds, for garnishing
Instructions
- Soak the wood ear mushrooms in warm water for about 15 minutes, then cut them into thin strips. Combine the wood ear mushrooms with all the filling and seasoning ingredients. Chill the filling in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Place a wrapper on your palm and spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling onto it. Do not overfill. Dip your index finger into a small bowl of water and run it around the outer edges of the wrapper.
- Fold the dumpling over and press the edges with your thumb and index finger to ensure it’s sealed tightly and there’s no leakage. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. Place the dumplings on a floured surface or baking sheet and cover them with a damp kitchen towel to prevent drying.
- Bring the water to a boil in a pot. Gently transfer the dumplings into the boiling water and cook until they float to the top, about 2-3 minutes. You may need to boil the dumplings in batches, depending on the size of your pot. Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon, drain the excess water, and cover them to prevent drying.
- Bring the chicken broth and water to a boil in another pot. Add white pepper and salt to taste. Transfer 3-4 dumplings into a soup bowl, ladle some of the soup over them, garnish with chopped green onions, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Cover the wrappers with a damp towel if you’re making a lot at once to keep them from drying out.
- Don’t pack too much filling into the wrappers. It can make sealing tricky and might cause leaks while cooking.
- Make sure to seal the edges of the dumplings tightly so no filling escapes into the soup.
- If you’re cooking a lot of dumplings, do it in batches. Overcrowding the pot can make them cook unevenly.
- The dumplings are ready when they float to the top and the wrapper is tender. Cut one open to make sure the pork is fully cooked.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Looks delish! Am I losing my mind or is there no mention of pork in the list of ingredients? I would probably still try with the shrimp, but so much has been said about the pork dumpling soup.
My 11 year old son picked this out of your cookbook and made it almost by himself. It was delicious! It will be a added to the rotation and we might pan fry a few of the dumplings next time. We love your recipes :)
Nice!?
Thank you for your recipe it sounds absolutely delicious I am European with a large experience with the Asian culture. Thank you for taking your time to publish I will let you know how it comes out.
Mick
Ps I miss you Sherry
Thanks Mick.
I have tried so many different versions but this is THE ABSOLUTE BEST EVER!!! Thanks sont much for the recipe.
Do you have a recipe for Wonton soup?
Yes, https://www.666630.xyz/wonton-soup-recipe/. You can search all my recipes on the top of my site, SEARCH RECIPES box.
Never made dumplings but just followed this recipe and they turned out perfect. My (Chinese) mother in law approved so I’m happy! Very clear and easy to follow thanks!
Rasa could you please tell me which oil you use in this recipe.
I love your recipes.
Vegetable oil.
Could I substitute shitake mushrooms for the wood ear or would the flavor change drastically?
You can but wood ear will be the best.
Hi, I was wondering if there were any dumpling wrappers that are gluten free or that are made out of rice flour? Thank you!
Sorry no idea about gluten free.
I would certainly add a little five spice powder to the filling or at least a little grown star anise and a few choice shredded fresh veggies to the finished broth.
Dean, sure you can do that to your liking. For authentic Cantonese style pork dumplings, there is no five spice powder/star anise in the filling.